Peace Camp in Jerusalem

Posted on August 9, 2018

This summer I participated in the Volunteer & Study track of the Conservative Yeshiva. Skilled Volunteers for Israel set up my volunteer assignment as a counselor at the YMCA Peace Camp. The experience was truly a treat. Everyday brought new challenges, each needing to be solved in different languages and in different ways.

I was very skeptical that a camp called a Peace Camp would hold true to its name. And yet I was truly impressed by how when people put their minds and their souls to it, they created a true feeling of a united Jerusalem.

Being with kids that spoke so many languages and were from so many unique backgrounds made for some very interesting situations. I learned that caring for a child does not only happen through words but also through deeds and actions.

I specifically recall a situation with one child who was having trouble tying his shoe. He only spoke Arabic and was having trouble communicating that he needed help. Almost immediately one of the English-speaking campers came over and tied his shoe.

Working with Skilled Volunteers for Israel was a wonderful experience and really opened my eyes to new things. I am so happy that I to have had this opportunity and I really think I made the best of it.